Middle East: Local actives innovation and dermocosmetics
Arie (Yoki) Giniger, head of scientific development at Taburit Group, said Middle Eastern beauty continued to pivot on local ingredients, notably Dead Sea minerals and medicinal plants. What had changed was that brands were now working to back these actives with science and supported claims, particularly startups, Giniger said.
“Currently, Israel has become a startup nation, and thus new materials and new technologies are the basis for new products and skin care devices,” he said.
But, as new product development efforts advanced, sustainability had to remain a central priority, he said. “Life on our planet is encompassed in two contradictory time cycles. On one hand, we have the extremely fast technological cycle that introduces new materials and technologies, and these are to be adapted by the extremely slow biological cycle affecting life, vegetation, ecology etc.”
Whilst it was “very difficult” to balance this, it was important the cosmetics industry and governments worked hard to do so, he said.
Dr Mohammad Baghaei, founder of the Dr Baghaei Cosmetic Academy in Iran, said moving forward, innovations in the Middle East would likely play into the growing new trend of dermocosmetics.
“For acne, hyperpigmentation and wrinkling, today, the dermocosmetic products are very, very present here.” Baghaei said.
And as NPD efforts in this space advanced, he said there would be movement towards organics, local herbals – Iranian and Persian – and smart delivery systems.